


I Love You Most

by Vex_ation



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Declarations Of Love, F/M, Fluff, One-upping, PDA, agency week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2020-11-23 13:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20893016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vex_ation/pseuds/Vex_ation
Summary: Black arrives home from a year-long training expedition in Kanto and insists he loves White more. White can not and will not accept defeat.--Seven 1000~ word chapters based on prompts from Agency Week--





	1. Reunion

It was 12:28. The plane landed at 12:15. White was nervous.  


Black was supposed to be coming back today. His plane was on time and his baggage was in the correct cart. He should have been here by now, and as she held up the sign-- decorated with neon markers and glitter and enough hearts to fill the Luvdisc schooling aquarium tank-- she had to wonder just where he was. Had she missed him? Had he passed her somehow, lost and helpless and alone in the airport? All the other passengers were already filtering through the terminal, talking on phones and running to connecting flights and reuniting with loved ones. She wanted to reunite with her loved one… if only she knew where he was.  


It had been one full year, three hundred and sixty five days, since she had seen him last. He was training in Kanto, existing on protein bars and muscle and sweat and only enough WiFi to call her once a week. It was agonizing to not have him by her side, to not be able to fall into his arms and tell him about all the entitled customers at the end of a long and stressful day. She missed his talks about his training and battles, missed when he would bring her to hang out with Cheren and Bianca, missed when they would just sit on the couch enjoying each other’s company for hours without saying anything at all.  


White was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t see the man walk through the door until he was already charging straight at her. She only heard heavy footsteps before whipping her head up to hear him shout in euphoria and throw his arms open in a wide hug.  


“I missed you!” Black exclaimed, throwing himself into White’s arms and nearly bowling her over. “It was so long and I was worried about you and I thought-- I just-- Aaah!!”  


White hugged him tight, breathing in the familiar scent of his jacket and just trying to remember what it felt like to hold him. They stood there in silence for a few moments, simply enjoying each other’s company. It was nice, familiar, just to feel the way their bodies fit together, how easy it was for her to nestle into the collar of his jacket and for his nose to burrow into her hair as he smelled the sweet floral scent of her shampoo and planted kisses on her scalp.  


“A year is so much longer than I thought,” she admitted, turning her head so that she could see his eyes. She almost forgot the way he fluttered his eyelashes when he was upset, how he tried to smile through the tears that tore at his expression and held her steady when all he wanted to do was scream and sob in glee.  


“I’m so sorry I left you alone,” he mumbled, “I missed you so much.”  


White pulled away, looking deep into his eyes and letting her gaze soften.  


“I missed you more,” she whispered, sliding her hands gently around his waist and pulling them together. Their noses were nearly touching, and she could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with hers. “I love you to the moon and back.”  


Black frowned, draping his arms over her shoulders and touching their foreheads. “I love you more, I love you so much that I would run all the way across Unova to be with you.”  


“My love for you is deeper than the ocean,” White whispered back smugly.  


“Well,” Black replied, “I love you so much that I would do this in the middle of the airport.”  


White frowned, unsure for a moment of what Black meant before he slipped a hand behind her head and pulled her in for a kiss. White felt her face flush pink, letting her hands move up his back as she dropped the sign she was holding.  


“Mmm… Black!” she scolded. “This is a public place, there are people staring.”  


“So? I’m your boyfriend, that’s not exactly a secret,” he said back, his voice muffled as he tried to speak without breaking the kiss. “I want the whole world to know how much I love you.”  


The kiss was gentle and passionate but brief; White couldn’t handle more than a few seconds before thoughts about her job and reputation swirled in her head. Could the President of such a company really be seen snogging her boyfriend in the middle of an airport? The fact that he was a League winner that had been training in Kanto for a year didn’t matter, did it? She still had a presence she had to keep up and PDA wasn’t exactly in her job description. Her hand found his cheek, and as soon as her nails brushed his skin he pulled away with a tiny, sheepish smile.  


“Was that too far?” he asked. White shook her head, unable to fight the smile growing on her tingling lips.  


“No, that was perfect. I want a part two when we get home,” she teased, pushing a finger on his chest as though she meant to push him over. The stalwart champion toppled like a Jenga game, falling back and taking a few steps as embarrassment caught up to him and he rubbed the back of his head.  


“I’m so happy to see you, I don’t even know what to say,” he admitted. White readjusted her hat, trying to stop herself from staring. She still had things to do: paperwork to complete, clients to appease, films to cast, and Pokemon to train. But looking at her boyfriend she could do nothing but take it all in, drowning in his brilliant smile and honey-brown eyes and in the way he looked at her like she was every hope, every wish, every dream, like she was the one thing he had been asking for. White could only hope he could see that she felt the same way, that she wanted nothing more than to be in his embrace. She would have to show him somehow.  


And she knew just the way to do it.


	2. White's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's White's Birthday, and she wants nothing more than peace and quiet with her boyfriend... and that's exactly what she's going to get.

The colors of autumn blanketed the canopy in a thousand blazing oranges, the wind whistling through the treetops and pulling leaves along with it. They fluttered to the ground like stray sparks, crunching under the feet of passersby as they strolled through Liberty Garden. Autumn was in full swing-- the brisk air nipped at the noses of couples sharing kisses and cappuccinos; Deerlings’ coats were fading to warm browns and reds, and Black was falling deeply in love all over again.   
White looked out at the path over her scarf, her brown eyes wide and sympathetic. She was looking, of course, for Black, who she had no idea was waiting behind a bush to come out at the perfect opportunity. Black should have been there by now, and sure, they always ran on different time tables, with White always early and Black always late, it didn’t make her anxiety go away any less. Everytime, she could almost imagine that maybe, just maybe she had lost him again, that he was gone somewhere she’d never find him, and then… and then… oh. He was here. He brought lattes. Of course.   
Black was suddenly in view, proudly touting two lattes and a huge grin that turned White’s insides to jelly. She couldn’t even think of trying to disguise her smile as she trotted up to him, reaching out to plant a kiss on his cheek and wrap her hands around the lattes he was carrying.   
“Eager, are you?” he teased. As she stuck her tongue out at him playfully, he pushed one of the lattes towards her. “This one’s yours, mine is soy.”  
“You’re lactose intolerant?” White asked.   
“Nah, I just like the taste,” Black replied as he took a sip. “Besides, mine’s not even technically a latte.”  
“What is it then?” White asked as they began to walk. Black slipped his hand into hers.   
“A flat white.”  
White rolled her eyes, feeling a little flustered even if she wouldn’t show it, and led him to her favorite bench.   
“You know, when it was fall and I was missing you, I’d always come to sit on this bench and watch the leaves fall, thinking of when you’d come back and I could finally do it with you for real.”  
“Wow, that’s kinda…”  
“I know I kno--”  
“Romantic.”  
“Huh?!”  
“No, just that you came here… just to think about me? I’m just glad I could help you make it a reality,” Black said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and a soft smile that made her heart flutter. White said nothing, just letting the leaves fall and the Deerling amble around the park as they held hands and sipped at their lattes. The brisk fall air made their noses red as they sat, observing the colors and sneaking the occasional glance, if only to see how peaceful the other looked when they smiled and trying to remind themselves that yes, finally, this was all real.   
The leaves glinted in the afternoon sun like embers, sparkling and shining like a fire’s dying light. The blue-grey sky served only as a background to the warm display of colors, and Black and White couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful display that nature had so kindly laid out for them. Little pokemon scuttled from tree to tree, collecting the berries that littered the ground as they stocked up for winter. All bundled up and snuggling close, the two of them couldn’t relate to the poor Pokemon’s struggle. Even so, their adventures rattled the trees enough for a beautiful shower of leaves to rain down on them, dancing in the early October sky like tiny ballerinas. They twirled and swirled and collided, fluttering to the ground like the blazing feathers of Ho-Oh. Neither of them felt the need to speak a word: the sounds of nature on its last flame before the cold darkness of winter was enough to fill the silence.   
Black leaned over to kiss White on the cheek. She turned, fluttering her eyelashes and swallowing all the embarrassment as she tilted her head towards his and pressed their lips together. Their empty latte cups tipped over, rolling around on the bench as a peck became a kiss became a full snogging session. Black pulled White’s scarf from around her neck to better wrap his arms around her, White’s fingers rubbed circles on the back of Black’s hoodie. Their Pokemon, had they not been playing in the meadows by Juniper’s lab right now, probably would have been disgusted by their trainer’s actions. This was a public place, for Arceus’ sake! And yet, young love was beautiful and romance was thick and sweet in the air, because they hardly took a breath and kissed the afternoon away until their lattes were cold and their lips were numb (not from the cold, of course).   
White couldn’t imagine a more beautiful day, not in a million years. And yet, somehow, Black made it even more wonderful, though she couldn’t believe that it was even possible. Slipping an envelope into her palms, he smiled goofily at her as she came up for air. Panting, she smiled, fumbling with the envelope with her chilly fingers. Perhaps next time, she thought, she should have worn something other than fingerless gloves. Ah well, too late now. White smiled sheepishly at Black as she tore into the envelope like a barbarian, struggling to remove the tiny slip of paper from the shredded ruins.   
“Come on, I just have t-- Ah!” she exclaimed as the breeze snatched the paper and tore it from her fumbling fingers. Black caught it in midair, because of course he did, and handed it back to her cheekily. White sighed, lucky to have someone so in tune with her that he could even do something like that, and stared. Dinner at the Nimbasa City Rooftop? For two?! White stared at him; these reservations were nigh impossible to get.   
“How, how did you…”  
“I called in a favor,” Black admitted, rubbing the back of his head.   
“For… me?” White said softly. Black leaned in with soft eyes and a warm smile, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.   
“Anything for you, White.”


	3. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White makes a joke about a raging storm in Unova and gets a surprise visitor that makes the dark night feel a little less lonely.

The rain was pounding outside, the branches swaying in the violent winds as the wind howled and blew clouds of leaves around the dark sky. The storm had been raging for hours, letting down sheets of rain without any signs of stopping. White tried to keep in good spirits about the whole thing, posting jokes to her snapchat story as she sat curled up by the fire with Amanda wrapped around her. The power had gone out almost twenty minutes ago, so she stared at her phone, reading by the power of LED screens and firelight.   
Suddenly, she heard a loud knock on the door and wondered if she had, for some reason, ordered a pizza or had a package that needed to be delivered. Apparently one of the dexholders ran a delivery company that would even deliver in storms, but she couldn’t imagine that would go well for them. White crawled out from Amanda’s coils and sleepily walked to the front door. When she opened it, a familiar face smiled back at her.   
“Hi Prez!” Black said cheerily.   
“Are you ok?!” White exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”  
“Came to drop… off some things,” Black said. White suddenly realized how hard he was trembling, hearing his teeth chatter from the cold.   
“Black, are you sure you’re ok?” White said, gently stroking his cheek. Black sneezed violently, rainwater pooling around his feet as he stood at the front door, shivering and soaking wet.   
“Why did you come here? It’s ok, I’m safe, you should’ve just stayed home!” White said as she pulled him inside and shut the door behind them. “Look at you, you’re freezing.”  
“I saw… on your Snapchat… that you didn’t… have batteries,” he sniffled. “I got worried, so I had to make sure… you were safe,” he said, pulling his hands out of his pockets to reveal a plastic bag filled with water bottles and flashlights and batteries.   
“B- Black!” White exclaimed. “I’m fine! I wouldn’t want you to get hurt or sick just because you… you were… you were thinking about me.”  
Black shivered in place, giving White an unapologetic smile. White’s eyes softened as she ran into the laundry room to get some towels.   
“Sit down, you reckless goofball. You need to dry off.” Black quickly did as he was told, plopping down by the fireplace and dripping water on the floor. Amanda cracked open one eye, huffed, and slithered away to avoid the dubmb boy and his cold watery clothes. Black just sat there, hands outstretched to try and grab the heat of the fireplace as it roared. The power was out, which meant the heating was out, which meant that Black had the warmest place from here to Hoenn, and until Amanda was annoyed enough to Vine Whip him away from it, he wasn’t going to move from this spot. A gentle hand on his shoulder startled him, making him turn to see White’s smiling face as she fluffed out a towel.   
“Take your jacket off, you won’t warm up if you’re soaking wet,” she said. Black did as he was told, but White frowned. “That too.”   
“But White,” he protested, my shirt isn’t even that wet.” White raised an eyebrow, holding the towel out. Ah. Ok. Black sheepishly pulled off his shirt, letting White drape the soft towel over his shoulders. She knelt beside him, wrapping him in a hug and letting her warm breath tickle his ear.   
“If I have to take off anything that’s wet… shouldn’t I take my pants off too?” Black asked, breaking the silence.   
“Don’t push it,” White laughed, standing up and pulling the towel off his shoulders to dry his hair. He smiled, loving the feeling of her rubbing the last of the water from his head and slowly running her fingers through his hair to make it look just a little less messy. Black leaned back to look up at her.   
“I love you, but seriously, do you have any sweatpants? I feel really wet and not in a good way,” Black said. White giggled, throwing the towel over his head and going off to find him something. He could hear her rummaging through her drawers as he pulled the towel off his head, and before he could offer to help she was already back.   
“My dad left these here when he came to visit once, you can try this,” White said, holding up a pair of Floccesy Town Fighters sweatpants, emblazoned with the team name all the way up the leg. Black, ever the thankful one, gave his best apology and thank you and scurried away to the bathroom to change. He came back with a towel around his shoulders, messy hair, sweatpants and seemingly nothing else as the firelight sparkled in his honey-brown eyes.   
“I just realized I’ll have to sleep here, since I can’t exactly… go home like this,” Black said sheepishly.   
“You really think I would let you go home in a storm like this anyway? You’re going to get sick, I can’t risk that,” White replied.   
“You worry too much,” Black said with a laugh.   
“Last time I didn’t you got stuck in a rock for two years!” White protested. “How can I not worry about you?”  
Black stayed silent, staring at her in shock. “That was… that was more than a decade ago.”  
“But I almost lost you. Sometimes, when you do those silly reckless things like this, it just reminds me of that day. I can’t help but worry, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.”  
Black said nothing, but moved to stand beside her, draping his arms over her shoulders and holding her close.   
“Can you feel my heartbeat?” he asked. White, admittedly a bit confused, leaned into him and tried to listen. The thunderous rhythm pounded against her back.   
“Yes,” she said softly.   
“That means I’m still here. And as long as my heart is still beating I will always be here, because I love you and I would never get myself get lost like that again.”  
White just sighed, turning her head to snuggle into him as the fire crackled before them. The orange glow made Black’s eyes shine and his skin glow. They were warm there together, and not even Amanda was cruel enough to separate the two of them as they hugged through the storm. The rain pounded on the windows as their breath grew soft and even and the fire slowly burned to embers. Warm and cozy, they fell into a tangled pile on the floor, sleeping soundly even as the storm raged on outside. Somehow, together, everything would be just fine. They were gonna make it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Epilogue: 
> 
> The morning sun finally rose on the fallen branches and sodden ground the next day. The storm had finally passed, and though it left traces of the pounding rain and roaring thunder, it was over, and the land would eventually recover.   
"Hey Black?" White said. Black looked up from his cereal as White called his name from the bathroom. "Your clothes are all dried and I folded them for you but um. Your boxers are still in here. Did uh... did you bring a second pair of underwear or are you going commando right now?"   
Black didn't respond, so the two of them sat there in silence. Realizing she wasn't getting an answer, White finally sighed.   
"You know what? Keep the sweatpants."


	4. AU / Crossover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black teaches his gijinka friend how to battle properly, and to his surprise, she is really not that confident.

Déjà vu was probably the closest Black could get to describing this feeling. He had seen this all before, but just the slightest bit different. He didn’t know exactly what it was, and it would likely bug him until he figured it out, but quite frankly now was not the time. Right now he was helping his boss learn to battle, how to use her own strength to help both him and herself in the challenges they were sure to face soon.  
“Just use tackle!” he exclaimed, waving his hands and leaping forward to demonstrate. White was unsteady on her hooves, scuttling out of the way of the attacks without daring to retaliate. She was a Deerling centaur, far more powerful than any of the Pokemon on this route despite her lack of skill-- gijinkas like her had inner strength that far surpassed humans and even Pokemon.  
And yet, here she was, the leader of a hugely successful company but unable to defeat a single wild pokemon in battle. It’s not that she had to battle, of course, but she was the one that wanted this. Seeing her standing there, gracefully leaping out of the way of attacks so often that she was nearly running in circles, Black wondered why she wanted to do this at all. Clearly she was overwhelmed. Clearly she was scared. Clearly she was out of her element. And yet, somehow, she kept trying. As long as she kept at it, Black knew he wouldn’t give up on her, no matter how hard it got or how long it took.  
“White!” he shouted. Her ears swiveled towards him. “You have to stand your ground! You can dodge all you want, but if you want to win the battle you need to attack!”  
White was panting, exhausted from her constant bounding around.  
“I work in corporate, I never learned how to attack people!” she exclaimed.  
“Just think of it like a business deal! Charge in and handle the pokemon like you would handle an unruly client!”  
White looked back at him incredulously as she dodged another attack.  
“I don’t deal with customers by headbutting them; do you know anything about business?” White asked.  
“Not at all!” Black replied cheerily. “But I do know your job requires the same kind of drive and perseverance that battling does! You can do this White! I BELIEVE IN YOU!”  
Hearing his words, White felt something spark within her. Fighting the blush that rose to her cheeks at his blind praise, she readied herself for another attack. No more running. Pawing the ground with a hoof, the Deerling centaur readied herself as the Pokemon she was facing reared their head. They charged at each other, and though White could feel her heart pounding out of her chest, she didn’t stop or run away this time. Bracing herself for a world of pain, she shouldered the wild pokemon as hard as she could, sending it flying into the tall grass with a yelp as Black cheered her on.  
“YOU DID IT!” Black exclaimed, leaping up and down as he pumped his fists.  
“I… I did?” White asked. It certainly didn’t feel like she did much of anything; it didn’t hurt at all!  
“You can try again with some other wild pokemon, but you also have other moves if you wanna try those out.”  
“I do?” White asked.  
“Well yeah. You should be able to use Double Kick, I think. I’d have to check though; I didn’t really research gijinka movesets as much as I did for Pokemon,” Black explained. White sheepishly pawed at the ground.  
“Thanks so much for helping me,” she said quietly. Black rubbed the back of his head, trying to pretend he wasn’t this flattered by her kind words.  
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “... Oh! Looks like the pokemon you fought before is back for more!”  
White’s eyes widened; she whirled around to see the pokemon, winded but otherwise unhurt, standing at the edges of the tall grass and staring her down menacingly. Clearly, they wanted a round two. White drew her hands to her chest as her heart began to pound. Sure, she could tackle them once, but she doubted the same trick would work twice.  
“Get behind them!” Black exclaimed. “You can you Double Kick once you pass them! It’s just like dodging, but with revenge!”  
“O- ok!” White shouted back. The pokemon flew towards her once again, and like usual White bounded out of the way-- only this time she threw her weight forward, bundling her haunches and lashing out with a mighty kick. She heard something crack, and this time the pokemon hit the grass and skidded to a stop. White gasped, quickly running to the pokemon’s side. They were slumped on their side, their eyes spinning.  
“Oh wow, fainted in one hit!” Black said. “You’re getting the hang of it White!”  
“Oh gosh, I… I thought I killed the poor thing!”  
Black giggled. “Ha, nope. Poor little guy just fainted. That’s what he gets for taking on someone as strong as Prez!”  
White quickly turned around so that Black couldn’t see her face. She could only handle so much flattery before she blushed to the tips of her ears, and Black just sent her completely over the edge. This was just too much to handle! While she was fretting and fawning over the unexpected praise, White suddenly felt two hands clap down on her back.  
“You did great!” Black exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up. The startled centaur didn’t realize who was behind the harmless gesture, however, and lashed out with a Double Kick without thinking. This time it was Black who went sailing across the field, skidding to a stop in the tall grass. He sat up dumbfounded and stared at White as she panicked and dashed towards him while sprouting apology after apology.  
“Oh gosh oh my Arceus I am SO sorry!” she said, clearly panicking. Trying to ignore the pain in his ribs, Black just smiled and gave her a thumbs up.  
“‘S alright,” he said. “That didn’t hurt too much-- I’m really impressed though. Your kicks are really powerful.”  
“Oh no…” White said. “Hold on, I’ll, um… I can carry you to a Pokemon center!”  
Black didn’t have the energy to protest as White gently lifted him onto her back and set off towards the Pokemon center, apologizing all the way. Winded and calmed by the bouncing of their walk, Black found himself slowly lulled to sleep. As White’s voice faded and the Pokemon center came into view, Black dozed off…  
… and promptly woke up in his own bed. Confused, he sat up and scratched his head. White-- who was definitely, 100% human and not a Deerling centaur like she was forty five seconds ago-- was peacefully snoozing beside him. Black shook his head to try and get the strangeness of it all out of his head. Awoken by the sudden movement, White sat up sleepily.   
"Bad dream?" she said groggily. Black just shrugged. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what kind of dream that was. White giggled a little bit before planting a small kiss on his cheek and snuggling back into her comfy spot. "Go back to sleep silly. You can tell me all about it in the morning."   
Perhaps she was right. Weird dream or no, she would always be there for him to wake up beside, no matter what world they lived in. Black flopped back onto his pillow and counted little Deerling centaurs until finally he could drift back to sleep.  
What a strange dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know "it was all a dream" fics are cliche and boring, but when you're trying to stick all these fics in the same timeline that spans only 7 days, sometimes you have to take shortcuts... 
> 
> (Another fun fact, this gijinka / mythical creatures AU actually spans all regions 1-5, I just don't have enough ideas for it to make into a full fic. Alas, glimpses of it can live here for now)


	5. Black's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A birthday celebration for the champion of Unova has to be grand-- and what better to celebrate than by having fun with the people you love most?

“Black, Champion of Unova, I hereby challenge you to a Pokemon battle!” someone shouted. Black, still lost amidst a dream, muttered something unintelligible and sat up, rubbing his head and blinking away the sleep.  
“Whozi… wha?” he said groggily. Here he sat in bed, lost among fluffy blankets and rumpled pajamas, but a familiar trainer stood at his bedside, hat on and ponytail pulled up tight. She smiled at him enthusiastically, pokeball in hand and eyes shining with confidence.  
“... White? What are you doing?” Black asked.  
“Happy birthday!” she replied. “I figured you’d want a special birthday battle, so I got ready early.”  
Black couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. He knew White wasn’t the biggest fan of battling, but she woke up early just to challenge him on his birthday? If that wasn’t love, he wasn't sure what was. Jumping out of bed, Black begged for just a few minutes to run a comb through his bed-head before they really got started. If he was being honest, battling in slippers and pajamas was fine by him, but it was a little too cold outside for that. White promised to meet him outside, and Black spent the next 10 minutes getting ready and musing about how much he loved his girlfriend. She was always thinking about him, doing these little things that made him feel appreciated. She always made time for him in his busy schedule without sacrificing her career or her other friends, balancing everything well enough so that she could always be there for him when he needed her. She really was incredible.  
But a battle was a battle, and as champion of Unova and as an honorary birthday boy, Black was fully prepared to kick his girlfriend’s ass if need be. Taking the stairs two at a time, Black grabbed a granola bar off the kitchen and ran outside, where he found waiting for him… along with his two best friends. Cheren and Bianca waved at him, both smiling and laughing as Black ran in to give them both a hug.  
“You came!” he exclaimed.  
“Of course,” Cheren replied. “Did you really think we’d miss our best friend’s birthday?”  
“Yeah, silly! White helped us plan a super extra special day with you! You’re gonna love love love it, I just know it!” Bianca squealed. Black looked over at White, who smiled knowingly. The three of them… he really was the luckiest trainer in the whole wide world.  
“So White,” he said as he broke the hug, “about that battle…”  
“Don’t worry, there are plenty of battles upcoming. All four of us have a long day of battling ahead of us.”  
“Because…” Bianca said excitedly.  
“We got Battle Subway tickets!” they all shouted in unison.  
“White helped us book an entire car to battle in all day,” Cheren explained. “It’s just the four of us, so we can do whatever you want! Double battles, triple battles, wild pokemon battles, trainer battles, you name it!”  
“You guys…” Black said. He felt like he was ready to cry. They really did all that… for him? He couldn’t help but feel touched.  
Touched was what he felt when Cheren offered to drive just so Black and White could cuddle in the backseat. Touched was what he felt when Bianca insisted he picked the music. Touched was what he felt with they all playfully argued about who got to be partners with him for all their double battles.  
There was no doubt they loved him, that they cared about him more than he could even imagine. He could see it through the brightness of their smiles and the fire in their eyes when they battled him with all their might. They loved him for everything that he was: madly, fiercly, unconditionally. As Oshawott and Serperior fell to Bo’s Flame Burst and his friends cheered him on despite losing the battle, Black knew for a fact he had the best friends in the whole wide world.  
\---  
“That was AWESOME!” Black exclaimed. All four of them clearly had fun, but Pokemon battling could only go on for so long before trainer and pokemon alike were totally wiped out from exhaustion. They all walked through the city streets smiling but dragging their feet. White walked to the front, leading them all through the maze of city streets before they wound up in front of a building that made Black’s face light up in childish glee.  
“NO WAY! How’d you know this was my favorite diner?” Black asked White. She smiled smugly, glancing at his friends.  
“A little bird told me,” she said as Cheren flushed in embarrassment at being exposed.  
“Aw, Cher… you really remembered.”  
“... My memory is just good, that’s all.”  
Black gave him a tight hug despite his protests, and though he denied it, everyone could tell that Cheren just cared immensely about his best friend whether he was willing to admit it or not. Black was still teasing him about it as they slipped into the booth-- they ordered onion rings and fries and milkshakes like any proper diner attendees, allowing the birthday boy the customary first bite and exclusive double dipping privileges. For love, people will do crazy things.  
They spent most of the night at that diner, laughing and smiling as Bianca and Black had milkshaking chugging contests (with left them both with brain freezes) and Cheren kept surreptitiously snatching White’s fries every time she looked away. It was all pretty mundane, but it was done with friends he adored more than anything else in the world. For Black, this was heaven. And at the end of it all, he got to hug his friends goodbye and snuggle with his girlfriend until they both fell asleep.  
Nothing, not a single thing on this planet, could make Black feel anything but euphoric tonight. He was a league champion; he had the bestest friends in the universe; he had a girlfriend who he loved and cherished; he had pokemon that made him happy and a legacy he could be proud of. Now, at the end of his journey, he could relax and have fun with the people he loved more than anything else in the whole wide world. And _that_ was the best birthday present a league champion could ask for.


	6. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black and White love to show each other just how much they love each other, but they get competitive about it. Sometimes a little TOO competitive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of Pokemon Day (+ some gentle persuasion from my dear friend Myth) I've decided to do a double update with Chapters 6 + 7!

White paled as what seemed to be a ten foot tall stuffed Cubchoo waddled into the room, its overstuffed, sprawling limbs dragging limply across the tiled floor. People around the lobby were snickering and staring, but White was only transfixed on the massive heart it was holding in its paws, which happened to have her name monogrammed on in corny script. A familiar face peeked out from behind it, a giddy grin on his face as he struggled to hold the massive toy upright.  
"SURPRISE!" he shouted, readjusting his grip to push the teddy bear in her general direction.  
“B- Black, what is this?!” White exclaimed, trying to fight the blush that threatened to creep across her cheeks. “I just got out of a meeting, there are still clients here!”  
The excitement melted off Black’s face as he quickly shuffled backwards, trying to hide the massive teddy bear.  
“Uh… I… oh Shuckle this is umm… I’ll be right back!” he shouted, waddling away as fast as he could and shouldering the massive stuffed animal into the revolving door just as the clientele walked out of the conference room. White composed herself, dusting the lint off her jacket and the surprise off her expression as she showed the clients the way to the door. One of them stopped, then another, then another, until finally White turned to see why they wouldn’t-- or more accurately couldn’t-- leave.  
Someone whose name may or may not have been named Black was sufficiently stuck, his face mashed against the glass while the massive stuffed animal enveloped him on all sides. It’s paw was jammed into the bottom of the door, preventing it from moving and him from escaping his plush prison. The clientele around Whitte began to laugh.  
“I didn’t realize your company produced romantic comedies!” one of them chortled. “Had I known I would have brought some more of my darlings, they’d love to star in such a performance.”  
“Likewise,” said another client. One by one they began to express an interest in BW Agency films, wondering how they could get cute and comedic shots of their darling Pokemon just like that poor ‘actor’ stuck inside the revolving door. As they began to chat, White felt the hearts in her eyes and the stack of money in her wallet get bigger and fatter and fuller. Grinning, she turned to Black and nodded. Smiling back, the decidedly crushed boy gave her the best thumbs up he could, given the circumstances.  
Somewhere in the back of White’s mind, however, she was frowning. Black had gotten her such a cute teddy bear, monogrammed no less, and even got her new clients while doing so. How in the world was she going to top that?!  
By the time they had finally gotten him unstuck, White was off for the day. Not one to be outdone, she had spent the rest of the afternoon making calls and arranging something special. If Black was going to give her a teddy bear with hearts and giggles, that was fine. But he had just started something far beyond his battling capabilities. This, without a doubt, was a declaration of WAR.  
The chocolates she had given him the other day were cute but small, the love song he shouted in response was cuter. To top the teddy bear, she knew she had to do something impressive. And that’s why she led him directly from the corporate building to a nearby lake just outside Nimbasa, where a Swanna paddleboat rested on the shore. Luckily, she had been able to call in a favor from Elesa, so there was more to come, but it wasn’t like Black would know. To him, White was just taking him on a quiet twilight paddleboat ride.  
He blushed as he stepped into the boat, leaning up against her as she too sat down and they began to paddle in unison around the lake. It was silent except for the sound of their breathing and the sloshing of water around the boat. The silence was calming and beautiful, letting the tension evaporate from their shoulders as they paddled about and enjoyed each other’s company. It was lovely, for sure, and the garden scenery around them was gorgeous, but in the end they were just paddling around an empty lake as the sun set. Black couldn’t help but feel a little bored. As the sun began to disappear and the stars glittered up above, Black moved to ask if they could paddle back, but White was insistent.  
“Let’s go to the center of the lake, just for a second. Please?” she asked, and though Black was confused, he wasn’t about to say no. He shrugged and nodded, paddling with her to the very center of the lake (she was rather particular about it) and waiting as suddenly the lake lit up in a million brilliant blues. Lumineon danced around them, lighting up the waters in a fantastic display, and Black couldn’t help but lean over the side to look.  
“They’re so pretty!” he said, stepping onto his seat to look closer.  
“Black, this boat isn’t that steady. I wouldn’t lean too f-- Black. BLACK,” White shouted hastily.  
“Wh--” Black said, before suddenly the boat tipped under his weight and he felt the ground shift beneath him. He let out a yelp as the boat nearly capsized and he was unceremoniously dumped into the lake. The startled Lumineon scattered in every direction as Black surfaced, cold and bewildered but otherwise ok. White sighed and reached out a hand, smiling down at him sheepishly. Both of them burst into laughter as Black shook river weeds out of his hair. Perhaps she would have to try something different.


	7. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black cannot think of a way to top White's romantic gestures. He wants to show her how much he loves her, however, so he sets out to prove to her just how much he adores her in the only way he knows how.

What a week this week had been. He had come back from the airport after a long trip to Kanto, celebrated both their birthdays, engaged in a battle of romance, had strange dreams about other worlds, and stayed warm with his girlfriend through a crazy storm. Being away from her for all those months made him realize how much he loved her-- even the phone calls couldn’t make up for the fact that he spent so many months without being able to taste her lips or feel her fingers intertwined with his. He loved her, he loved her more than anything else in the world, and he somehow, some way, had to show that to her.  
Black sat back in his chair. White had surprised him with a massive musical in his honor to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the defeat of Team Plasma. There were hearts, lovely messages, poetry, dance numbers, and a beautifully rendered showtune that demonstrated exactly how Black had thrashed Ghetsis and saved the world with Reshiram. Black noted silently how it totally omitted how he got sucked in the light stone. Perhaps it was too much of a downer ending. Regardless of the factual inaccuracies, it was beautiful, thoughtful, and completely spectacular. Which meant, unfortunately, that it was nearly impossible to top.  
If Black really wanted to prove to White that he loved her more, he was going to have to do something huge. The 10th anniversary celebration of Team Plasma’s defeat was coming up, so maybe he could win all the battles for her? No no, that wasn’t romantic enough. He would really have to prove he loved her more. That he loved her MOST.  
But… maybe he was thinking about this all wrong. Why were they arguing about this in the first place? Did one of them love their partner more than the other? COULD one of them love their partner more than the other? Perhaps this was a fool’s errand: they were both hopelessly in love with each other and that’s what mattered, right?  
Somehow, realizing this didn’t quell Black’s competitive spirit whatsoever. He still had to do something incredible for White-- something amazing, something grand, something befitting of someone as fierce and loving and extraordinary as her. But… what? Perhaps, he thought, it was time to give her the gift he had picked up for her in Kanto.  
\---  
As they called Black up to begin the matches, he felt the gift rattle in his pocket. He would win for her, sure, but once he did, he would have a stage-- an _audience_. And with that, he could do something amazing, something spectacular, something for the someone who made the play of his life more amazing than he could ever hope for. And oh, win he did. (It was, if he had to describe it in one word, awesome.)  
“Is there anything you’d like to say, Champion Black? Maybe give some tips or secrets on how you secured another incredible win?” Iris asked, handing him the microphone. Black contemplated it for a moment, then turned to the audience with a smile.  
“On this tenth anniversary of the defeat of Team Plasma, I’ve been thinking, and I realized that everyone-- trainers, heroes, champions, or anyone else are only as strong as the people who have their backs.”  
Awww’s swept over the stadium as Black tried not to look embarrassed.  
“I can only be a great champion because I’m surrounded by heroes who love and support me; without them I wouldn’t be here. And even though they’re not in the spotlight, they’re the ones really running the show. On this Tenth Anniversary of the day we defeated Team Plasma, I have made a decision. I realized that I can’t live the rest of my life without the people I love by my side. And throughout it all, there has been one person who never left. There has been one person who was always there for me-- we had each other’s backs, and this person fought for me, waited for me, dreamed for me, even when they thought I was gone forever.”  
The crowd was dead silent, and though Black’s heart was pounding, he knew this was something he had to do. More than being a champion, more than celebrating this day, this was something that made his heart pound, but he couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.  
“Throughout my journey, I always said I was going to be the best. The best trainer, the best champion, and the best boyfriend. But my girlfriend White is trying to prove to me that she loves me the most, and she did something I could only dream of topping. But what I realized is that it doesn’t matter who loves who more as long as we’re in love and together. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone more than I love her, and so while I may not be able to prove that I love you most, White, I have something I need to tell you.”  
The crowd was on their feet, whispering and staring as Black swirled around, taking a deep breath and smiling up at the stadium.  
“I may not be so good with romance or relaxation, and I know that sometimes I drive you crazy, but I love you so much I don’t even know what to do with myself some days!! So I’m going to say this loud and proud, the only way I know how!”  
With only the hint of a smirk on his lips, he held the microphone, took a deep breath, and promptly tossed it back to Iris. He could see everyone in the stadium shift in their seats, glancing at each other and murmuring in surprise as Black cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted his announcement to the heavens. As the crowd’s shock grew to an audible roar, Black shouted it out loud and proud, his next words reverberating through the stadium with a thunderous bang and the passion of sacred fire.  
“WHITE, THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE, THE PERSON WHO I LOVE MOST IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD…”  
White, sitting right in the front row, was already crying and nodding as Black got down on one knee.  
“WILL YOU MARRY ME?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand that's a wrap!  
This is the first multichapter fic I have ever completed and posted in full, and though it's not the longest or the most complicated, I can't help but say I'm proud QuO. I hope you enjoyed!


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